I worked at World Ford, Pensacola FL for 3.5 years. Started as a quick lube tech, spent some time as a mid level mechanic, and left while I was an apprentice to a master mechanic. Two of the three bosses were on our side, making sure we got the recognition we deserved. But the other boss had more sway, and good fuck was he an asshole. If you tried to help someone that messed a job up, he would scream at you and call you an idiot for being a part of that fuck up. He's not the only reason I left the automechanic field though.
Newer cars are more complicated, and these more complex parts are shoved into a similar space under the hood. These vehicles are nearly always covered under some warranty. The way most mechanics are paid is “flat rate”. “flat rate” is where if you do x job, it will pay a certain number of hours no matter how long it takes you to complete. On a vehicle that is out of warranty, you can decide how many hours it will take to complete, essentially writing your own paycheck. However, when your business charges $200+ dollars per labor hour, no one is going to spend money on your business. You only get the warranty work. Warranty work will almost always pay less than the time it takes to fix the vehicle. Meaning you get a pay cut for the hourly rate you agreed upon.
The other issue is supply line bullshit. Getting parts to fix vehicles has always been an issue. COVID brought that problem to a boil. It's taking months to get niche parts in. Ive seen engines ripped apart, taking up a techs stall for months, while they have to do nothing on in (essentially halving their pay since they only have two service bays). While the customer pays thousands of dollars to be out of a vehicle for months. How many of you could pay upwards of 3 grand while also not having your transportation to work. r/fuckcars
That's not even covering the fact that you need to spend thousands of dollars on the tools and equipment you need to fix these vehicles. Also the fact that down here in Florida, the shop is open air, with only a handful for ceiling fans. If you want to stay cool you need to buy your own fans. The average age of a mechanic is nearly 40 years old meaning the industry is dying.
TL:DR
Don't get into mechanics unless your shop has a kickass union. Also, learn how to change your own oil and do minor repairs on your vehicle. It's gonna get bad soon.